The FCC Voted to Repeal Net Neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission voted on December 14 to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, opening the doors to allow corporations to control over what content is most available on the internet.

While the internet has always operated with net neutrality, 2015 regulations ensured that was the case, prohibiting providers from certain control over what we see online. According to the New York Times, the FCC voted 3 to 2 on Thursday afternoon to dismantle those regulations, meaning internet providers could block or charge more money for certain content, or create essential "slow lanes" that would make certain sites take longer to load while others loaded quicker.

Prior to the vote, Democratic FCC member Jessica Rosenworcel explained to Teen Vogue what's at stake without net neutrality. Basically, she said, a repeal means internet providers can treat the web like a highway.

"They’d be given the legal authority and power to be able to block your websites. The’d be able to shuffle your traffic and manipulate it so it could goes toward services with whom they have a commercial relationship and close you off from services from those with whom you do not. It would allow them to set up tolls online for you, the consumer, to reach the content you want," she told Teen Vogue. They will have the power to do this. Our laws will no longer prevent them from doing this because our laws will no longer require internet openness. They would have the power to carve the internet into fast and slow lanes and charge you to access sites who haven’t engaged in a pay-for-play relationship. [Internet bills] could very well go up."

According to the Times, FCC commissioner Ajit Pai argued repealing net neutrality would allow providers like Comcast and AT&T to provide a wider range of services to consumers.

“We are helping consumers and promoting competition,” Pai said in a speech before the vote, the Times reported. “Broadband providers will have more incentive to build networks, especially to underserved areas.”

It's still unclear whether or not the way the internet currently operates will change, and, if it does, when that might happen. Some in Congress have called on the lawmaking body to pass legislation demanding net neutrality in the absence of the FCC protections, and Reuters reported that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman plans to lead a multi-state lawsuit, challenging the FCC vote.